Space News & Blog Articles

In this July 28 photo, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson views the Space Launch System for the Artemis 1 mission inside the Vehicle Assembly Building. Credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

The earliest NASA’s first Space Launch System moon rocket could roll out from the Vehicle Assembly Building to its seaside launch complex in Florida is in late November, officials told Spaceflight Now, leaving little time to conduct a critical fueling test, roll the rocket back into the VAB for final closeouts, then return to the pad for liftoff before the end of the year.

A SpaceX Cargo Dragon capsule approaches the International Space Station Monday. Credit: Thomas Pesquet/ESA/NASA

Closing out a 31-hour flight from a launch pad in Florida, a SpaceX Cargo Dragon capsule autonomously docked with the International Space Station Monday, delivering experiments, supplies, and fresh food to the complex.

Astra’s Rocket 3.3 tilts before flying sideways after liftoff from the Pacific Spaceport Complex in Alaska. Credit: Astra

Astra’s small satellite launcher suffered an engine failure just after liftoff from Alaska Saturday, causing the rocket to tilt sideways before the booster recovered and climbed into the upper atmosphere. The rocket later veered from its flight corridor, and the range safety officer issued a flight termination command before the mission reached orbit.

SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket early Sunday from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Credit: Michael Cain / Spaceflight Now / Coldlife Photography

SpaceX launched a Dragon cargo capsule from Florida on a thundering predawn launch aboard a Falcon 9 rocket, kicking off the company’s 23rd commercial resupply flight to the International Space Station.

Stormy weather at the Kennedy Space Center prevented launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket early Saturday. Credit: NASA / Spaceflight Now

Thunderstorms moving onshore at Cape Canaveral prevented SpaceX from launching a Falcon 9 rocket early Saturday, forcing a one-day delay to the start of the company’s 23rd resupply mission to the International Space Station.

Astra’s launch vehicle, designated LV0006, stands on its launch mount at the Pacific Spaceport Complex on Kodiak Island, Alaska. Credit: Astra

The private space company Astra plans its third orbital launch attempt from Alaska as soon as Friday, using a relatively compact two-stage launcher sized to haul small satellites into space.

A Cargo Dragon capsule sits atop a Falcon 9 rocket on pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Credit: SpaceX

Forecasters on Friday predicted a 60% chance bad weather on Florida’s Space Coast could prevent the scheduled launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket early Saturday to begin an automated resupply mission to the International Space Station.

Live coverage of the countdown and launch of a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral with SpaceX’s 23rd operational Dragon resupply flight to the International Space Station. This is the third flight of SpaceX’s upgraded Cargo Dragon vehicle. Text updates will appear automatically below; there is no need to reload the page. Follow us on Twitter.



A Long March 3B rocket takes off with the TJS 7 satellite. Credit: CASC

China launched another military satellite Tuesday aboard a Long March 3B rocket, just four hours after liftoff of a different Chinese launcher with multiple prototype spacecraft for a planned constellation of orbiting internet relay nodes.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Cargo Dragon spacecraft stand on pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in florida on Wednesday. Credit: SpaceX

On the cusp of ending a two-month SpaceX launch drought, ground crews raised a Falcon 9 rocket vertical Wednesday on its launch pad at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center for an engine test-firing and final cargo loading before liftoff Saturday on a resupply flight to the International Space Station.

EDITOR’S NOTE: We are streaming a live view of pad 41 as ULA rolls out a Vulcan pathfinder booster for cryogenic tanking tests.

A Long March 2C with, with an enlarged payload fairing, lifts off Tuesday from the Jiuquan space base. Credit: CASC

China launched two test payloads Tuesday for a planned constellation of internet satellites, a step that could lead to launches of thousands more Chinese spacecraft to match similar commercial networks already being deployed by SpaceX and OneWeb.

NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei on the International Space Station. Credit: NASA

A planned spacewalk outside the International Space Station Tuesday was postponed after NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei was diagnosed with a pinched nerve, which NASA described as a “minor medical issue.”

Fire and exhaust from the 32 rocket engine nozzles power a Soyuz-2.1b launcher off the ground at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Credit: Roscosmos

Another 34 satellites for OneWeb’s internet network successfully launched on a Russian Soyuz rocket Saturday from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, giving the UK-based company a fleet of 288 spacecraft.

Chinese astronauts Nie Haisheng and Liu Boming wave to a video camera while outside the Tianhe core module of China’s space station Friday. Credit: Xinhua

Chinese astronauts Nie Haisheng and Liu Boming accomplished a nearly six-hour spacewalk Friday outside the core module of the country’s new space station, installing a coolant pump and lifting a panoramic camera to provide better views outside the complex.



Live coverage of the countdown and launch of a Russian Soyuz rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome with 34 OneWeb broadband satellites. Text updates will appear automatically below. Follow us on Twitter.

A Long March 4B rocket launches a pair of Tianhui 2 mapping satellites. Credit: CASC

China launched a Long March 4B rocket Wednesday carrying two Tianhui radar mapping satellites into orbit more than 300 miles in altitude.

Maxar’s WorldView 3 satellite captured this view of Hamid Karzai International Airport on Monday, Aug. 16. The view shows crowds gathered around parked aircraft. Credit: Satellite image ©2021 Maxar Technologies

Maxar’s WorldView 3 commercial imaging satellite captured overhead views of the airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, earlier this week as thousands of people converged on the runway and gathered near aircraft after the Taliban militants took control of the capital city.

A European Vega rocket blasts off with nearly 700,000 pounds of thrust Monday night. Credit: ESA/CNES/Arianespace – Photo Optique Video du CSG – JM Guillon

A European Vega rocket launched from French Guiana Monday night with Airbus’s second Pléiades Neo remote sensing satellite, two European Space Agency CubeSats to track space weather, a student-built nanosatellite from Italy, and a small maritime surveillance payload from the French company Unseenlabs.